Luke evaluates the 2025 Arctic Cat CATALYST ZR 600 137 featuring the 125 horsepower Dual-Stage Injection C-TEC2 engine.

Then Luke and a buddy head off-trail for a unique experience aboard the Widescape WS250 stand-up snowmobile.

Then Motorhead Mark shares his thoughts on the 2025 Polaris Indy SP 137 featuring the Patriot 650 engine.

In our last writing we announced ARGO, makers of legendary 4, 6 and 8 wheeled Extreme Terrain Vehicles, ATVs and SXS, was definitely in play to ultimately acquire Arctic Cat. We haven’t said more than that reality – until today.

If you read our last release you heard ARGO’s CEO Brad Darling, the pre-Textron Vice President of Arctic Cat, was strongly rumored to be leading a purchase of Arctic Cat. Darling’s roots run deep in the snowmobile industry and he is well respected by everyone at Arctic Cat. We expect if Darling stick-handles a deal with Textron his team will have the best interests of the brand, the loyal legion of Arctic Cat owners and an anxious and proud dealer network.

So why are we reporting on this rumored acquisition of Arctic Cat by ARGO? Today, March 5th, Darling is in Thief River Falls, Minnesota with an important group of business leaders who appeared to be inspecting the TRF production facility.

To be completely clear, what we’ve reported here is true and accurate. However, it does not mean there will be a sale of Arctic Cat. We will go out on a limb and say this move today is extremely encouraging and appears to point to a deal that’s well on its way. Our contacts say this inspection of the TRF facilities by the team Darling is leading is a strong indication a deal could be as little as 60 days away.

Obviously, time is of the essence to finalize a deal and still offer a MY2026 new model lineup. From what we understand at this writing it is entirely possible this can happen, pending a successful sale.

This story is moving fast – real fast – and we will bring any new info to our valued readers and viewers as expeditiously as possible.

Then in TEST RIDE AJ evaluates the deep snow performance and trail-thrashing proficiency of the 2024 Ski-Doo Backcountry X-RS 146 featuring the ROTAX 850 E-TEC engine.

Luke and AJ respond to all your questions about riding in Québec. Tune-in and get all their insights to some of the best regions to visit based on the type of riding and terrain preferences you may have along with fun and interesting peripheral actives you and your family can enjoy. If you’re not hooked on Québec by now, you certainly will be after you’ve ridden its trails this winter. Plan a trip this year and you’ll be visiting again every year – guaranteed!

Then in TEST RIDE, AJ shares his opinions on the 2024 Arctic Cat ZR 600 CATALYST with ATAC after having spent some time aboard this sled in this comprehensive evaluation.

The first episode of 2024 is in special commemoration of Mitch Watson (2002-2023) who was undoubtedly one of the worlds most die-hard motor heads and whose passion for snowmobiling overshadowed many of those senior to him. Rest in peace and Godspeed Mitch.

First and foremost, remember there are no actual 858 powered Cats in the hands of media or dealers right now. We have a limited build CATALYST with the only mill available this season – the 600cc Dual Stage Injection 2-stroke, built late last winter. The engine has proven itself reliable. In fact, the first year AC introduced this engine as a limited build in 2014, I personally put the lion’s share of 10,000 km on it without incident.

Having said that, though, I don’t expect you’ll see this engine in the CATALYST for very long. The 600 was never designed to be shoehorned into the new platform so we suspect an all-new 600 is likely in development.

The CATALYST is light – real light, and you can feel it. The sled feels feathery when flicked in the twisties and steering inputs are responded to smoothly and predictably. There’s a measure of understeer in play before dragging the brake when entering a tight turn. This is not unnerving as a quick tap on the drive axle mounted brake brings the front end back into an oversteer posture that holds bite through the apex and out the exit. It is a familiar ritual and one that’s easy to learn.

The front end – very similar to Cat’s ProCross wide spaced A-arm setup – is exceptionally stable on-center, at any speed. Handlebar effort is remarkably light and responsive; a trait directly tied to the sled’s lightness.

Ergonomics are now among the best in the biz and pretty much everyone who rides this sled comments on how comfortable it is. The CATALYST rider’s perch is super narrow like a MATRYX Indy and the seat foam is perfectly supportive from the gas tank to the tail. The handlebars fall readily at hand and hip, knee and foot position are very nearly perfect for stand-up/sit down transitions.

The CATALYST suspension package is familiar. The venerable “Slide Action” open yoke front torque arm mounting allows for a wider margin of uncoupled movement in light chop and rollers. While not harsh through the whoops, neither is this suspension notably plush.

Our ZR features ATAC adjustable on-the-fly shock damping, which is a highly effective feature that increases all day ride comfort and adds a measure of plushness. Up front, the wide A-arm IFS flattens sucker bumps and allows virtually no harsh feedback when diving into junk terrain.

Notable in the sled’s acceleration profile is Arctic’s “ADAPT” automatic belt tensioner, which makes RPM transitions from full whack to dropped throttle, super consistent. Never does the CVT get mixed up and pull a less-than-awesome back shift.

The new chainless, final drive, cogged belt system works flawlessly, which is something Luke pointed out at this time last year after his first ever ride on the CATALYST in Thief River Falls. This means the cacophony we’re exposed to with every other chain drive sled is measurably reduced with the new belt drive. There’s no steel-on-steel chain and gear noise or the whizzing of a chain tensioner. While this isn’t necessarily the belt drive’s main objective, there is a measurable reduction in NVH.

The power laid down by the DSI 600 is formidable. Acceleration is strong and crisp and top end is solid. That being said, you’re not likely to walk an Indy 650 down an open stretch of lake. Again, we’re looking at Cat to introduce a 600-650 built off the 858 block sometime in the future.

The 2024 ZR 600 CATALYST 129 with ATAC is more than the sum of its parts mainly because of its lightness. Light has always been and will continue to be right. Now, imagine how this sled will feel with an 858 under the hood knowing the 600 is only one pound lighter!

Simply put, manufacturers like to be first out of the gate when it comes to unveiling next year’s sleds, but this comes with one major caveat. You can’t show your hand until your dealers’ showrooms are empty of current model year sleds. If you mess up this timing there’ll be a boatload of dealers screaming at their District Sales Managers that their current year product is now obsolete.

This is a complicated dance – most of the time. For Arctic Cat though, not so much. The company unveiled the all-new CATALYST platform over a year ago with one tell-tale feature missing. Everyone immediately knew the CATALYST would be carrying an 850-class engine in the very near future and here we are with the unveiling of the 858.

Let’s take a look at where this 165 horsepower, 2-stroke twin will show up in MY25 and explore some other interesting AC developments…

More Power

Some notable info on the 858 CATALYST comes in the form of an open admission that this engine met Arctic Cat’s engine design parameters of a full ten percent increase in peak horsepower!

Let’s do that math. I think it’s safe to say the former SDI 800 engine made between 150 and 160 ponies. If ten percent is spun off 150 horses then the new Stroker 858 is making 165 horsepower. If the ten percent is a result of starting with 160, then the 858 is making slightly more than 165. We’ll let you know what happens when we take a WOT run with the 858 down Kevlar Lake.

It’s Really All About CATALYST and the 858

The 858 was designed to be mounted in only the CATALYST. Yeah, we know, this year the CATALYST comes with the current 600 DSI engine. Truth is, the brain trust at Arctic Cat had to adapt the 600 to fit in this new platform. The 600 is actually mounted higher in the chassis than the 858. We look for a 600-class engine based on the 858’s architecture to arrive sometime in the future.

Based on our impressions after riding the 600, the new CATALYST feels light in the twisties and well balanced in the whoops. We already know the new 858 engine is within ounces of the 600’s weight so these handling impressions should hold true with the 858’s additional power.

Here’s the lineup…

The ZR for 2025 comes in three forms. The base line ZR is available with the 858 or the 600 DSI twin. Next is the ZR Sno Pro with the above two engine options, and finally the ZR with ATAC adjustable on-the-fly shocks. All three versions can be had with 129 or 137 X 1.25 lug RipSaw tracks. These models have many more unique and desirable features you can read about in the full AC release.

The CATALYST ZR R-XC also returns for MY25, now available with both the 600 DSI and 858 C-TEC2 engines featuring Fox QS3R shocks up front and the SLIDE-ACTION rear suspension features a Fox 1.5 QS3 on the front skid shock and a 2.0 QS3R on the rear. This sled’s only available as a 137 and boasts the 1.35 Cobra track.

It needs to be noted there’s also a ProCross-based ZR powered by a 1049cc, 135 horsepower class 4-stroke triple available with a 129 or 137 X 1.25 inch RipSaw. This is an important addition to the AC lineup for MY 2025. Arctic Cat needs 4-strokes and this is a good one.

The Thundercat returns for 2025 in the ProCross chassis powered by a 200-horsepower class turbocharged and intercooled 4-stroke engine offered standard with EPS and ATAC.

Back to CATALYST Models

The CATALYST based 2025 RIOT is available with either the 600 DSI or the Stroker 858 and is offered in three trim levels: Base, SnoPro or with ATAC. The RIOT utilizes an Arctic Cat X-Over “Cross Action” rear skid inside a 146-inch, 1.75-lug or a 146-inch 1.35 lug sneaker. It is worth mentioning all CATALYST models for 2025 use AC’s exclusive belt drive final drive system.

Cat also offers a RIOT built on the ProCross platform using the 998cc turbocharged and intercooled 200 HP class 4-stroke triple.

Steep and Deep CATALYST

The base M Alpha One and the M Alpha One SnoPro are available with either the 600 DSI or the 858 Stroker. Track choices for both the M models wrap around Arctic Cat’s proprietary single beam “Alpha One” skid in 146, 154 and 165 lengths using 2.6 or 3.0 lug options. There is also the M Mountain Cat in 2 iterations with only one engine choice – 858 power – the Mountain Cat and the Mountain Cat with ATAC. It appears at this writing both versions come with Arctic Cat’s G-8 Digital Display and both feature the Alpha One single-beam rear suspension.

That’s a quick run through the 2025 AC lineup paying specific attention to where the CATALYST with 858 power will be in play. We’ll bring you more info on AC’s 2025 lineup in the coming weeks. For now, take satisfaction in being among the very first people to see a full-on, next-year-introduction earlier than ever before!